Samsung Electronics Co. (SSNLF.PK) and Toshiba Corp. (TOSBF.PK) said that the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, ended a two-year investigation into possible antitrust violations in the flash-memory chip industry, media reported Thursday.
As per the reports, Samsung and Toshiba, the two largest makers of flash-memory chips, have been informed about the conclusion of the investigation.
The DOJ reportedly began investigation on flash-memory chip makers in September 2007, broadening a crackdown on possible price fixing in the semiconductor industry. NAND flash memory chips are widely used to store data in music players and digital cameras.
Renesas Technology Corp., a venture owned by Hitachi Ltd. (HIT) and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (MIELF.PK,MIELY.PK), and SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) also received subpoenas. On August 19, Hitachi reportedly said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the company was informed in July that the DOJ's Antitrust Division would terminate the investigation.
The U.S. agency had already won a series of convictions for price-fixing in the market for chips known as dynamic random access memories, or DRAMs. The DOJ reportedly said in 2006 that four companies and 16 individuals had been charged as a result of an investigation into the DRAM industry, with fines totaling more than $731 million.
According to Dramexchange Technology Inc., an operator of spot market for semiconductors, Samsung accounted for 37.2% of the market in the second quarter followed by Toshiba with 34.5%.
SSNLF.PK closed Thursday's trading at $440.92, while TOSBF.PK ended at $5.00.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.